At least you have rain!!! It's been teasing rain here (colorado) but not a drop. :-(

Do you have a barrier around your peonies?

Yes, I used stakes and string, but we've had driving rain and high gusts of wind, so my stakes and my peonies didn't stand a chance. The silver lining is that I now have huge bunches of them in vases all around the house. So I guess I shouldn't complain. And yes, we have been having A LOT of rain!

Jayco,

I have the same problem here in Chicago. I just posted to ask if there is a decent peony ring out there. Would you mind reading it and looking at the link I attached later in the post to see if you think this method would work?

Signed,

Weeping over my glorious, sidewalk-hugging peonies too.

Hi Poppydog,

I read your thread. I don't know of anything (yet) that works. I have used the rings and they didn't work for me. Part of my problem is that my peonies are too happy. They've formed a huge clump about four feet high and this year each plant had well over 100 buds. Plus they are doubles, and therefore just too heavy for the rings to support. I'll tell you what happens--they just flop over the tops of the rings, which looks no better than when they flop all the way to the ground.

That's why this year I made my own support, which also turned out to be useless. I have decided from now on only to plant peonies that are:

1) lower growing (I think these would have more success with the rings)

2) singles

3) said to have VERY strong stems.

That being said, I may try building a large cage next year, if I have the patience. I'm envisioning something high with sturdy wire mesh, large gauge, that could be placed over the plant early in the season. But even if I make such a thing, I can't say I have faith that it would work. The problem of heavy flower heads on stems of various lengths seems to defy solution. Staking up each stem might work, but I agree with you that it would seem to be bad for the roots. Also, it's extremely difficult to do by the time the plant is large enough so that you can stake high enough up.

I also try to appreciate the plants in bud. In fact, I think I like the way they look in bud almost as much as when they bloom! All those big fat buds high over a sea of lovely foliage...and I can even imagine that they're not going to flop!

Sorry I can't be of more help!

I just posted a message asking how I could save my flowers. My peonies are all bent and rained off their host. I am sick. I just brought 3 blooms in but they are splayed out and probably won't last past tonight before they are all over the table. I stake my peonies w/rings and that doesn't seem to help much. Maybe if we didn't have so much rain but everything else is looking grand. I can't wait for my cl. New Dawn to start blooming. Hopefully the rain will let up and the sun will shine. Now I am worried about the strawberry crops around our area. Lots of water and no sun makes for a poor, moldy, tasteless crop. Oh well what can we do? Not much, I guess.
Thanks for letting me vent,
suebot in CT